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Competition-mediated antibiotic induction in the marine bacterium Streptomyces tenjimariensis

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Abstract

Microbial competition for limiting natural resources within a community is thought to be the selective force that promotes biosynthesis of antimicrobial compounds The marine bacterium Streptomyces tenjimariensis produces the antibiotics istamycin A and B under select laboratory culture conditions; presumably these compounds serve an, ecological role under natural conditions. Here we report results of a novel marine microbial competion experiment that examined the impact of co-culture of marine bacteria on istamycin production by S. tenjimariensis. Twelve of the 53 bacterial species tested (i.e., 22.6%) induced Istamycin production; this antibiotic also inhibited growth of the competitor colonies. These results suggest that marine bacterial metabolites, serve an ecological role in countering competitive species.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacognosy and National Center for Natural Products Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, 38677-1848, University, MS, USA

    M. Slattery, I. Rajbhandari & K. Wesson

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  1. M. Slattery
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  2. I. Rajbhandari
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  3. K. Wesson
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Correspondence to M. Slattery.

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Slattery, M., Rajbhandari, I. & Wesson, K. Competition-mediated antibiotic induction in the marine bacterium Streptomyces tenjimariensis . Microb Ecol 41, 90–96 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002480000084

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002480000084

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